Feed-water heater and purifier.



V110. 738,751. :PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.-.

J.l ANGELL. 1 FEED WATERv EEATEE. AND .PUEIEIEE 4 1 ArrLloA'rxoN FILED APE. 2v, 1901.

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LANGBLL.

FEED WATERHBATER AND P-URIFIBR.

` Ammon-10N FILED APB. 27, 1901.

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J. ANGBLIJ... FEED marmi'11.lf-LAxzcm` AND PURIFIBR.

APPLICATION FILED- APB. 27, 1901.

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THE NORRS PETERS CO.. `PNOTl'-LI'WKB, WASHiNGTON, DA C.

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l atentecl September 15, 1903.

` UNITED STATES" PATENT Grricn.

JOHN ANGEL-L, or sT. Louis, MISSOURI.

. FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,751, dated September 15, 1903. Application iiled April 27, 1901. Serial No. 57,685. (No model.)

T all whom. it may concern;

4Be it known that l, JOHN ANGELL, a citizen l of the United States of America,V and a resident of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,

. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Heaters and Purifiers, of which the following is aspeciication.

The present invention relates more especially to that type of apparatus employed in steam engineering plants in which the feedwater mixed with a proportionate quantity of purge or coagulant compound is heated by contact with the exhaust-steam from the engine, after which it is passed through a filter- 4bed to remove the impurities and from thence i into the steam-generator of the plant.

The objects of the present improvements are in the main to provide a simpleand effective arrangement of the shelves'` within the heater-casing for eifectin g an intimate contact of the feed-water with the exhaust-steam and the consequent heating of such feed-water in 1 a thorough and effective manner; also, to provide an automatic connection of apparatus and its controlling mechanisms where bya substantially constant water-level within the apparatus is maintained during the varying cona y ditions existing during a continued use of the apparatus, all as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be more particularlypointed out in the claims. I attain such objects by the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section at line .fr Fig. 2,-of a feed-water heating and purifying apparatus embodyingthe present improvements; Fig. 2, an elevation of one end of the apparatus with parts in section at line Fig. l; Fig. 3, an elevation of the opposite end of the apparatus with parts` in section at line w, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.`

Referring to y. the drawings, 1 represents a vertically-arranged closed casing or housing of any usual and approved construction and which in the present improvement constitutes a heating-chamber for effecting thedesired heating of the feed-water by the exhauststeamfromthe engine andareceiving-chamber for the heated feed-water and which receivingchamber is in turn provided with an intermediate filter-bed through which the feed-water passes to have its suspended impurities removed before being fed to the steam-generator. The casing` 1 is also provided with the usual steam-inlet neck or passage 2, steamoutlet neck or passage 3, feed-water inlet-pipe or passage 4, and feed-water outlet-pipe or passage 5, extending either vdirectly to the steam generator or to the feed pump by which the generator is supplied.

6 is the usual filter-bed, supported on a perforated grid 7, arranged a distance above the bottom of the casing or tank 1 so as to leave a clear-water chamber 8, fwith which the feedwater outlet-pipe 5 is connected.

9 is an upturned and laterally-perforated extension of the feed-water inlet-pipe 4, arranged centrally in the steamoutlet or exhaust-neck 3 of the heater-casing and adapted to discharge the feed-water in jets and in a direction transverse of the outgoing steam and against the inner walls of such neck, so that more or less ofthe feed-water will trickle down said inner wall of the outlet-neck and from thence down the inner surface of the heater-casing to afford an increased. and effective heating and condensing surface in the operation of the present apparatus.

10 is an elongated waterreceiving trough or hopper supported centrally beneath the outlet-neck 3 by end lugs 11 on the main casing and adapted to receive theA feed-water `discharged from the inlet -i pipe 4 as such water rains down from the outlet-:neck 3. 1

Such trough is provided with a central raised `web or partition 12 and a series of perforations 13 ateach side of such web, the constructionbeing adaptedto divide and distributethe water in an even manner to the 'y d series of surface heatingplatesor shelves arranged beneath said trough and occupying the upper portion of the casing 1;

. 14 and 15 arealternating series of surface heating shelves or plates, theone series, 14,

slantin g downwardly from the center and the other series, 15, slanting downwardly from the sides,.as shown in Fig. 1. Each shelf or plate will preferably consist of two straight -halves meeting at the center, as shown, and

the first-mentioned series 14. will be provided` a with passages 16 at their outward-edges for IOO the passage downward at `such points of the feed-water onto the .next adjacent shelf below, while the last-mentioned series, 15, are

' provided with passages 17 at their center for the passage downward at ysuch points of the feed-water onto the next adjacent shelf below, so that such feedwater will have a cirA cuitous or serpentine passage down along the series of shelves to have an extended and effective exposure to the exhaust-steam to attain a very efficient heating of the passing feed-water. From the lowermost shelf of the series the heated feed-water drips down into the receiving-chamber therefor in the lower part of the main casing, as illustrated in Fig. 1. 'lhe lseries of shelves are preferably ribbed in the direction of their slant, so as to better maintain an extended separation of the feedwateriowing over the same.

1S represents skeleton end frames supporting theseries of shelves 14 and 15 at their outer ends, and which skeleton frames are in turnl supported on lugs attached to the inside of the main casing, as shown in Fig. 2. The skeleton formation of the frames18 is intended to permit of the .free andeffective entrance or access of the exhauststeam to the series of shelves and to the thin stratum of feedwater flowing upon the same.

19 represents intermediate supportin g-bars for the support ofthe central or middle portion of the series of shelves 14, such supportingbars resting at one end on lugs 2O on the main casing and at the other end upon transverse bars 21, extending across the doorway 22 of the main casing and resting upon lugs at the side of such doorway, and which doorway is nor- Inally closed by a door or cover 23. In the present construction the series of shelves or plates 15 are supported at their central or middle portion by upwardly-extending lugs or iianges 24 of the shelves 14, that form rests for the central edges of the halves of the series above the normal water-level in the main heater-casing and having the usual arrangef mentof intercepting-partitions for intercepting the water,`grease, the., of entrainment carried by the exhaust-steam.

No claim is made in the present case either to the construction of the separator or the hereinafter-described arrangement and connections of the same with the feed-water heating an-d purifying apparatus, as such constructions and connections constitute the subject-matter of my separate applications for Letters Patent, Serial No. 57,162', liled April 24, 1901, and Serial No. 69,882, liled July 27,

1901. In the particular construction shown the separator-casing is provided at one side with a flange 2G, by means of which itis'bolted to the side of the main heater-casing with its outlet-opening inregister with the inlet-passage into such main casing for the exhauststeam, and at the opposite side with an inletneck for the attachment of the exhaust-steam pipe or main, as shown in4 Figs. 1 and 2.

27 is a disk secured upon the inside of themain casing, preferably by the same bolts which secure the separator in place, and formed with acylindrical neck 28, which in turn is provided with an annular marginal ange 29. Such parts have an axial arrangement in the lmain inlet-orifice to the main heater-casing, as shown, and are adapted to form a very efficient barrier to prevent the usual creeping action of the water, grease, &c. of entrainment in the direction taken by the steam and into the main heater-Casin g to mix with the feed-water and be returned to the steam-generator.

30 is a reticulated grid arranged in the interior of the separator casing and in the path of the incoming exhaust-steam and adapted to divide or separate the exhaust-steam and direct the saine in its divided condition against the iinperforate impact-partition 31, so that the water, grease, duc., of entrainment will adhere to and be retained by the surface of such partition, while the steam is left free to continue its travel into the heater-chamber.

32 is a passage leading downward from the separator 25 and adapted to conduct the water, grease, time., of entrainment away from the same.

33 is a receiving-chamber at the lower end of the passage 32, adapted to receive the-entrainment-water, dac., and provided with a blow-off pipe or passage 34, provided in turn with an automatic blow-off valve 35, `operatively connected witha float 36 in said chainber and adapted to automatically open and blow off the contents of such chamber when such contents reach a predetermined level in the chamber by the gradual accumulation of the entrainment-water, 85e.

37 is a branch elbow pipe or passage extending into the interior of the main heatercasing, with the open end of its vertical portion on a level with the normal or predetermined water-level in said main casing. Such open end is preferably formed flaring or funnel-shaped to more effectively act as a skimmer for receiving the surface water and the scum and impurities carried thereby and conduct the same down into the receiving-chamber 32 to be blown off from the same in an automaticmanneralongwiththeentrainmentwater, ne.

3S is a cone-shaped cap located a distance above the funnel-shaped mouth of the branch passage 37 and adapted to intercept any feed-water from dropping directly into such mouth. i

In the present invention a predetermined water-level is automatically maintained in the main heater-casing by means as follows:

39 is afloat-chamber secured tothe outsidev IOO IIO

ofA the main heater-casing on the same `level with the normal water-line, which it is intended shall be maintained in the main heateror casings.

casing.

` is a water-pipe extending from the lower end of the float-chamber 39 to the lower portion of the main `casing and constituting a water connection between the two chambers or casings.` 4l is an equalizing steam-pipe extendingin like manner from the top of the iioat-chamber 39 to the upper portion of the main heater-casing and constitutinga steamfilled connection between the two chambers and 4l will maintain the same water-level in the iioat-chamber as prevails in the main` heater-chamber, and such pipes Will be made of comparatively large size for the purpose or function hereinafter described.

42 is a rock-shaft intersecting one end of the float-Casin g 39 and carrying within the same the arm 43 of an operating-float 44. The end `of the rock-shaft 42 outside the iioat-casing carries an arm 45, having link connection 46 with alever 47, by which the controllingvalve 48 in the feed-water inlet-pipe 4 is regulatedand controlled in an automatic manner, in that with the fallingof the water in the main heater-casing below the normal level the valve 48 will be opened by the automatic j main heater-casing in adjacent relation to the iioat-chamber`39 for the purpose of automatic control, as hereinafter set forth.

. 50 is a filling neck or opening for the tank 49, closed by a cap 5l, having an operating screw-shank, a hand-wheel, and a confiningyoke 52, swiveled to the neck, as shown, the

`described construction affording a connected attachment of parts, which permits of the same being swung out of the way and not impede theoperationof filling the tank.

53 is a pipeconnection or passage opening into the upper part of the tank 49 and adapted to introduce a supply of water from any convenient source of lwatersupply having j pressure sufficient to discharge the contents of thetank in the manner hereinafter described into the feed-water inlet-pipe 4 of the apparatus.` f

54 is an outlet-pipe connecting with the lower end of the purge-tank 49, which in my preferred construction, as shown in the drawings, is extended up through the pipes 40 and 4l of the float-chamber 39 and from thence to the,regulating-valve 55'and sight-feed tube As so arranged the two pipes 40l 56 to the feed-Water inlet-pipe 4 to discharge a regulated and limited quantity of the purge compound into the passing feed-water and which amount can be regulated by the operator through the instrumentality of Atheregnlating-valve 55 as his judgment may indicate.

57 is a branch or extension of the outlet or purge pipe 54 of the purge-tank, provided with a valve 58, constituting a blow-off for said purge-tank in the operation of cleaning out the same.

By the arrangement above described ofthe purge-carrying pipe 54 within the pipes 40 and 41a heating of the passing purge coinpound to a temperature approaching that existing withinthe main heater-chamber is attained, which prehcating of the purge compound I find by practical experiment increases the efficiency of the same to a very considerable extent.

63 is a motor-casing secured at the upper end of the purge-tank 49 and containing a motor-wheel or revoluble piston of any usual construction and which is adapted to operate a suitable stirrer by which the contents ofthe tank is kept in a state of agitation.

65 ,is the motive-fiuid-supply pipe to the motor-casing, provided with athrottle-valve 69.

69 isa throttle-valve in the pressure-supply pipe 65, which in some cases maybe regulated by hand. It is, however, preferable to control the same automatically and in unison with the water-level-control mechanism heretofore described or a duplicate of the same, if the particular circumstances may so indicate. In the drawings I have shown the throttle-valve 69 provided with a bell-crankoperating lever 70, thefree arm of which is arranged in the path of a tappet 71, adjustably secured upon the link connection 46 of the heretofore described automatic fioat mechanism by which the feed-water inlet is controlled and regulated. The arrangement in this connection is such that with a downa fall in the water-level in the main heaterchamber, the tappen 71 win Contact with the lever 7 O to open said valve 69 to start themotor-engine of the stirring `mechanism of the `purge-tank, the operation continuing until the float 44 again rises to permit a closing of `the said throttle-valve and a stoppage of the motorengine. It will be observed that by the `described automatic connections the opening and closing of the regulating-valve of the feed-water inlet and the opening and closing Lofthe throttle-valve of the motor-engine of `the purge-stirring mechanism takes unison with each other.

68 is the exhaust or outlet pipe fromthe :motor-casing 63, which preferably extendsto and discharges into the interior of the main` `heater-casing, as shown in Fig. ings.

3 of the draw- No claim is made in the present case to the special construction of the purge-tank 49 or Ico IIO

IZO

place in its automatic connection with the feed-water heating and purifying apparatus, as the same constitutes the subject-matter of a separate application for Letters Patent filed by me and having Serial No. 69,883, iiled July 27, 1901. 72 is a valved blow-olf pipe connecting the lower end of the main heater-casing with the blow-off pipe 34 for use in cleaning out the apparatus.

I-Iaving thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a main rectangular-shaped casing, steam inlet and outlet necks upon said casing, a vertical tier of shelvesv arranged centrally within said casing and separated from the side walls of the same by vertical steam-passages Which communicate with the spaces between the shelves, and a skeleton frame carried bythe main casing and affording a support for the tier of shelves each individual shelf consisting of two longitudinal halves meeting at the center, substantially as set forth.

2. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a main rectangular-shaped casing, steam inlet and outlet necks upon said casing, a vertical. tier of shelves arranged centrally within said casing and separated from the side walls of the same by vertical steam-passages which communicate with the spaces between the shelves, and a skeleton frame carried by the main casing and provided with side supporting-bars for the side edges of the shelves, and with intermediate supportingt bars for the middle portions of the shelves,

each individual shelf consisting of two lon gitudinal halves meeting at the center, substantially .as set forth. v

3. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a main rectangular-shaped casing, steam inlet and outlet necks upon said casing, a

vertical tier of shelves arranged centrally within said casing and separated from the side walls of the same by vertical steam-passages which communicate With the spaces between the shelves, a skeleton frame carried by the main casing and provided with side supporting-bars for theside edgesv of the shelves and with intermediate supportingbars for the middle portion of alternate shelves, and vertical ribs on such alternate withinv said casing, and a central superimposed distributing trough extending the length of the shelves and provided with two longitudinal series of perforations in its bottom adapted to discharge the feed water along the entire length of the uppermost shelf, substantially as set forth.

5. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a main rectangular-shaped casing, steam inlet and outlet necks upon said casing, a vertical tier of shelves arranged centrally Within said casing, and a central superimposed distributing trough extending the length of the shelves and provided with a central longitudinal rib upon its bottom and with a longitudinal series of perforations at each side of said rib, and-which perforations are adapted to discharge the feed-water along the entire length of the uppermost shelf, substantially as set forth.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 17th day of April, 1901.

JOHN ANGELL. Witnesses:

EDGAR C. PARKER, CHARLES K. PicKLEs. 

